Taps
by KissHerJack
Summary: When Colonel O’Neill is badly injured, he must put his faith in Captain Carter’s hands. . . literally, in her hands. Posted complete Set in season 1 post Cold Lazarus. The romance is there, if you look for it. :-)


Title: Taps

Author: Gail R. Delaney 

Genre: Hard to define. . . General 'filler'. . . some hurt/comfort with a dash of UST if you're really, really looking for it?

Pairing: Jack/Sam – um, kinda. . . as in not yet?

Rating: It's pretty clean. . . a curse here or there. . . PG to be safe.

Length: short

Spoilers: Only if you haven't seen the first four episodes of Stargate SG-1. . . EVER. . . Specifically The Broca Divide

Timeline: Season 1 – a few days after the mission in the aforementioned episode

Synopsis: When Colonel O'Neill is badly injured, he must put his faith in Captain Carter's hands. . . literally, in her hands.

Note: This falls into my "Moments" series as one of the first.

Archive: , Sam and Jack, SJfic. . . if you'd like to post it somewhere else, just let me know. I'm sure I'll say yes, just want to know where.

Feedback: YES!

Disclaimer: I make no money for this. Wish I did. . . but oh, well. No copyright infringement intended.

Special Thanks: Um. . . I'd like to thank the Academy. . . NO! NO! Wrong speech. I want to thank my ever persistent and honest beta, Jen. You're awesome. . . you keep me honest. . . and motivated. I wanted to do something different in this piece, but she was persistent with her argument and helped me see the light. Thanks, Jen!

Sam heard Colonel O'Neill stir from the motionless sleep he had been trapped in for the last several hours, and released a tense breath. Her concern had slowly worked its way to near-fear as each hour passed without any kind of movement from him. She scooted towards his large form as he rolled onto his back with a soft moan. His arm came up to drape across his flash burned face.

"Colonel? How are you feeling, sir?"

His unconscious state hadn't been the only thing that worried her. The trails of blood that ran from each ear bothered her more than she wanted to admit to herself. He had been so damn close to the small sphere weapon the retreating Jaffa had thrown at them. . . and without knowing just what the device did, other than be really loud and really bright. . . she had no idea what kind of injuries she was dealing with. A saline wash of his eyes could only do so much, and washing away the blood was purely aesthetic.

He didn't answer, and she wondered if he had drifted back to sleep again. As much as his body might need the rest after the explosion, they needed to move out soon. The Jaffa were gone, for now, but how long they stayed away was anyone's guess. They had been caught totally unaware, and the fact that both she and the Colonel and the Jaffa were equally surprised to see each other had been their one salvation.

Sam knelt beside her commanding officer, resting her hands on her thighs, wincing at the twinge that pulled across her ribs. "Colonel O'Neill," she said softly. No use in risking being heard by anyone who _might_ be within ear shot.

She touched his arm, and Colonel O'Neill jerked awake. His large hands grabbed the front of her jacket, and before she could even think about bracing herself, he had her flipped on her back with his fist drawn and his large frame straddling her hips. Sam groaned loudly at the sudden throbbing ache that took over her abdomen, emanating from the spot where a Jaffa had managed to make contact with his staff weapon.

"Colonel!" she shouted, holding her hands out in front of her. "Colonel!"

She pushed on his chest and he tilted his head, as if trying to focus on her. The Colonel winced, his face twisting into unmasked pain. He clutched his head and his body swayed. As he fell sideways, Sam managed to sit up and partially catch him before his head again hit the ground. Sam eased him down onto the grass, which wasn't easy considering the fact that Colonel O'Neill wasn't a small man, and pushed his hands away from his temples to hold his head, looking into his face.

His eyes were squeezed tightly shut, but as her palms touched his cheeks, they flew open – darting left and right. His fists curled into her sleeves.

"Colonel O'Neill!"

_Damn it!_ He was totally disoriented, and Sam had no idea how to get his focus back. Then he stilled, his lips apart and his eyes staring straight ahead. His fingers, in their black half-finger gloves, released the hold on her jacket and slid up her arms. He paused at her shoulders, his eyes squinting, then his hands touched the sides of her head, the knit of his gloves soft on her cheeks.

Sam held her breath as he lay perfectly still except for his hands. His fingertips circled in her hair... his thumbs brushed her skin.

"Carter?" he said in a dry voice.

Sam nodded. "Yes."

His eyes shifted again, not settling on her or anything else. Colonel O'Neill's thumbs moved along her chin until they rested right on top of her lips.

He swallowed. "Say something."

Sam's insides knotted and twisted as a realization hit her like a bucket of ice water. She drew in a slow breath before speaking. "Sir, can you see me? Can you hear me?"

His expression shifted as her lips brushed his thumbs, then he closed his eyes and his hands fell away from her face. "Ah, shit. . . " he said, slightly louder than usual.

That was all the answer Sam needed. . .

The incessantly _loud_ buzz in Jack's head had him very close to the verge of insanity. He pushed his palms against his ears. The buzz just got louder, and pain shot through his inner ear when he pulled his hands away.

He lifted his head and tried to focus in the darkness. There was the occasional flash, like dim fireworks bursting miles away, but mostly black. Jack squinted, blinked, ran his fingers over his closed eyelids, and blinked again.

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Niet.

_Well, this bites. . . _

A hand rested on his shoulder, and he sensed Carter sit down beside him. Jack closed his eyes, focusing on the change in the space around him, tuning himself to her with the only senses he had. Their lives depending on him _not_ being the weight that dragged them under. He felt her leg brush his, welcomed the awareness of her closeness, and registered it into his memory. Drawing in a breath through his nose, he separated the smell of the SGC laundry detergent all their BDU's were washed in from the fresh flora surrounding them, and beneath was something less military, yet not completely foreign. Something soft and subtle.

Feminine.

Jack opened his eyes, a brief flash of light sending a shot of pain through his eye socket, and rubbed his hand over his short hair.

Her fingers curled around his upper arm and she pulled his hand down to press a cellophane wrapped food bar into his palm.

"Thanks," he said, his own voice no more than a variation in the buzz. It was like trying to talk and hear under water. Lots and lots of water.

The bar tasted like honey and cardboard, with about the same consistency. But the rumble in his gut told him he needed to eat. He chewed and forced the dry sustenance down. Carter touched his wrist, tapping gently, and he turned his hand over. A canvas-wrapped canteen came against his palm. The warm water washed the bar down, but did little to really satisfy his thirst.

With the meal choked down, Jack sighed. One way or another, time was wasting and the two of them couldn't sit around. The Jaffa weren't likely to stay away long. Jack reached out, his hand making contact with some part of Captain Carter, and then her hand came into his.

"How many hours was I out?"

Jack waited, and after a few moments, she turned his hand over palm up. She tapped the tips of his fingers, once on all five then the pinky again.

"Six hours."

She didn't tap anything more, so he figured he was right.

"Have you heard from Teal'c or Daniel?"

She lifted his hand and set his palm against her cheek, shaking her head.

_Well, wasn't_ _this a damn fine form of communication. . . _

He pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand, leaving the other resting against her cheek. With a frustrated groan, he lifted his head and turned in her general direction.  
  
"Are _you_ okay?" She nodded. "You sure?" Nod.

"How far are we--"

Then Jack was on his back with a hard expulsion on air, his entire sense of space and balance shot to hell, as Carter shoved him down.

"What the--"

Her hand covered his mouth, and the slight weight of her body half over his kept him prone. Jack relaxed, and she took her hand away, but didn't move. She lay beside him, and he felt her hand on his chest, imagining that she pushed herself up enough to watch whoever it was that was nearby.

_Okay, so this was twice in less than 2 weeks that Carter had put him on his back. This was beginning to be a habit._

Using her hand as a point of reference, he reached up to what he thought would be the general vicinity of her head, and laid his hand on her hair. "Jaffa?" Jack asked, barely breathing when he mouthed the words. This whole not knowing how loud he was really sucked.

She nodded.

"How many?"

_One – two – three – four_ She tapped on his chest.

Jack let his head fall back on the soft earth, swinging his free arm over his eyes. Half a dozen nasty explicatives went through his head, and he clenched down on his jaw to keep from mumbling them. _This certainly was a fine kettle of fish. A four man team down to two, one of which was deaf and blind, and the other two in parts unknown. Good one. Great. Just peachy!_

He felt the tension ease in her body, felt her let more of her weight shift to rest on him, and wondered just what Teal'c and Daniel would think if they happened to be 'found' right about then. After the whole half-naked wrestling match in the locker room the week before – alien virus infection or not – Daniel would probably have something smart-assed to say – even if it were sugar-coated. He was still sporting the bruised lip Jack gave him, so payback was going to be a bitch.

"Carter, how far are we from the Gate?" he whispered.

She tapped his chest once.

"One... one click?"

Nod.

"I feel like Helen Keller, for cryin' out loud."

She shifted, and Jack was surprised at how bereft he felt at the loss of contact. _Guess being down two senses helps you appreciate the other three._ But then she had his hand, urging him to sit up. Jack groaned as he came upright, his head pounding and a weird sensation of shifting tidewater in his ears. Carter kept him moving, pulling at his hand with her other arm behind his shoulders, and he forced himself to his feet. He swayed for a minute, shifting his stance, and felt nausea roll through his gut. Her arms wrapped around him, and he leaned on her just until his head stopped spinning like a car in the Psychodrome at an amusement park. He turned into her, his cheek brushing the top of her head. But before he could think about it too much, Carter left his side and had his hand turned over, tapping his palm.

"Wait. . . wait. . . "

Her hand stilled for a moment, and when he had his bearings, he nodded. His 2IC pulled at the cuff of his glove, and he slipped it off. Then her hand was in his palm again, doing the same thing she had been before. Pricks of recognition jolted his brain, and he nodded slowly, focusing on the pattern and rhythm.

_-- --- .-. . . . ._

"Morse. Good thinking, Carter."

She cradled his hand with one of hers, and he felt the front of her jacket against the tips of his extended fingers, so he pictured her standing right in front of him. Her fingertip rested on his palm for several beats, then she started another pattern of quick and prolonged taps.

_Rusty_

Jack chuckled. "Been awhile for me, too."

She started to tap again, but Jack brought his other hand up to still her fingers. He tried to imagine where her face might be, and 'looked' at her. "Carter, I'm officially relinquishing command to you. Understood?"

Carter slipped her hand from between his, and brought one of his palms against her cheek, nodding her head. She released his wrist and her fingers returned to his other palm. As much as he hated the sense of being stuck in a black hole. . . as long as he had physical contact, he didn't feel quite so afloat. He kept his hand against her cheek as she tapped.

_No Daniel on radio. Need higher ground to try again. Metal content of soil interfering. Can you walk?_

Jack nodded. "Just don't let me run into any trees, 'kay?"

She nodded, and he felt the rise of her cheek as she smiled.

_Almost dark. If we can't reach Daniel, will need to find spot for night._

"Dark doesn't bother me, Carter," he said, hoping he looked smug.

She shook her head against his hand.

_Blind leading blind. _Herfingers paused, then she tapped out quickly,_ Sorry, sir._

"Just. . . get going."

Carter took his hand from her cheek and linked their fingers together. When he felt the gentle tug, he took a tentative step forward, fighting the urge to bring his other arm in front of his face. _This was like one of those damn team building things the Air Force sent him on years before. Trusting your teammates to catch you ... or not let a damn branch slap you in the face._

"If we're not careful, Carter, people will start thinking we're going steady," he said with a smirk, squeezing her hand.

She didn't bother to tap back a reply, and Jack was curious as hell what expression was on her face. But she kept walking, and he did his best not to walk like a wooden soldier waiting for the earth to drop out from beneath his feet at any moment. The breeze that had only brushed his face before grew stronger. Carter slowed her steps and brought their joined hands up to tap on the back of his hand.

_Clear of trees. Heading to hill west of Gate. You okay?_

"Peachy."

He felt the grade increase in the ground they walked, and after several minutes he was using one hand to help himself along while hanging on to Carter with the other. The ground leveled off, and Carter released his hand to tap his hip. Jack sat down, catching his breath. As he took off his hat to rub a hand over his hair, he barely suppressed the involuntary tensing of his muscles when she started tapping on his thigh.

_Trying Daniel._

Jack just nodded. He felt around the attachments to his ALICE vest until he found the canteen. The air was definitely cooler, and if he had to guess, he would assume the sun was setting. Carter was right. . . they couldn't risk trying to move after dark. One person stumbling around was bad enough. They didn't need to walk off a cliff.

His head hurt like a son of a gun, and his ears felt like he'd been swimming in the community pool for about six hours. Like if he shook his head to the side long enough, a big bubble of water would gush out and everything would be clear again. Where his ears felt drowned, his eyes were the opposite. They burned and scratched, like someone had dumped a bucket of sand in them.

She touched his arm, and he automatically turned his hand out, palm up, to her. The back of his hand rested in her palm, and her fingertips went to work. With the practice, he was getting faster at translating the dots and dashes, and she was getting faster at her tapping.

_Made contact. Secure half a click east of temple. Avoided Jaffa patrol twice._

"How long until dark?"

_Now._

"Damn."

_Will rendezvous after dawn south of Gate._

"Are we secure here?"

_Half way down. Rock overhang._

Jack nodded. "Good enough. Lead the way, Captain."

Sam chewed on the last piece of her meal bar, grimacing at the nasty taste. She wondered who picked these things, and who she could see to have them switched to Snickers bars. With a sigh, she looked through the small cluster of trees that shielded their overnight camp to the orange and pink tendrils of color that stretched across the horizon. The sun would be up soon, and they could meet up with Daniel and Teal'c.

She was tired. Down to her bones tired. With no one to switch watch with through the night, she hadn't gotten any sleep at all. Sam ran her hand along the back of her neck and glanced over at Colonel O'Neill. He was curled on his side, his arms crossed over his chest, with his head on a half-rotten log.

Even in sleep, his features were drawn and tense.

Jack O'Neill might not exactly follow the rules... she had never met an officer with a more complete irreverence for authority as a whole. . . and in his position, she probably would have done many things differently. . . but she couldn't help but respect him. She had seen men break their toes in combat and complain ten times more than him, and he was blind and deaf. Hell, he hadn't complained at all.

Sam wondered if she would be as strong.

She drew in a breath, and winced against the pinching shot of pain that wrapped around her middle. After unzipping her jacket, she ran her hand along her ribcage. By now her entire side was probably a beautiful shade of purple and molten yellow, but she didn't have time to worry about it right now.

Soon, she'd have to wake him up. Normally, the walk to the Gate would take ten minutes but they would move slower than that. Sam had to navigate the easiest path for him to take. She rolled onto her knees and moved gingerly towards him, protecting her side as much as possible, and took a few moments to examine what she could see of his injuries.

The fluid had stopped running from his ears, and Sam wished she knew if that was good or bad. His cheeks and forehead were bright red, looking almost sunburned, and his eyes were puffy. The gash along his left temple was almost healed, even though it had been opened up more than once during their last mission.

_What a hell of a mission it was. . . _

The week before, after Dr. Fraiser had solved the secret of The Touched, Sam could honestly say she remembered nothing about the incident in the locker room. She knew what Dr. Fraiser told her, that she had tried to. . . what, seduce?. . . the way the events were described seemed far from being a seduction. And Colonel O'Neill had been very closed-lipped about it, first telling her he didn't remember, only to hint later that he did. Daniel had been the only one to answer her questions honestly.

The way he described the Colonel. . . obsessed, protective, jealous. . . a tingle ran up her spine.

Bits of memory, broken moments in an incongruent string of events, had started to come to her whenever she let her mind relax. The heavy steam that had hung in the air. The smell of soap and shampoo. Heat.

Then she'd see him, just for a moment. Bare-chested. A slight glean of moisture on his shoulders and back. That was all. A flash.

Weight. His weight. Pressing her to the floor. He said something, but what she didn't know, then his lips skimmed across her throat before he pulled her to her feet.

Sam pushed the thoughts back, forcing herself to focus on the moment. They needed to move. She reached out to him, hovering her hand over his cheek before she touched him. He jerked awake, but she kept her hand on him. Colonel O'Neill rolled onto his back, and she immediately took his hand, hoping his disorientation would be short if she could just remind his half-asleep mind that she was there.

"Carter?"

She leaned forward so his hand would reach her cheek, and rested his palm there, nodding. He was blinking rapidly, and before he could press his fingers against his eyes, she stopped him, shaking her head.

"No, Colonel," she said loudly, the act of speaking too automatic.

His entire body stilled and he turned his face towards her. "I think I just heard something."

He sat up, shifting until the small of his back was against the log he had used as a pillow. Sam knelt beside him, and when his hand came out searching for her, she took hold of it, bringing her fingers to his palm.

_What did you hear?_

"Very muffled. But there was a change in the buzz."

_You heard me._

She moved closer on her knees, until she faced him and their hips were almost aligned. Colonel O'Neill slid the hand that rested on her cheek forward until his thumb was on her lips. His skin was rough, calloused, but he kept the touch light.

"Say something else."

"Colonel. . . "

Her lips moved against his thumb, but as she spoke, he frowned and shook his head. "No good."

Sam tapped against his other palm. _Spoke louder before. Maybe why._

A cocky grin tipped one corner of his mouth. "Were you yelling at me, Carter?"

_Didn't want you to rub eyes. Hold still._

She released his hand and he let it fall, landing on her thigh. He turned it over so his palm rested against her as she leaned closer, looking at his injuries. Not that she knew what to look for beyond basic first aid, but it made her feel like she was doing _something_ for him. Sam held his face in her hands and gently urged him to turn his head more towards her. As lightly as possible, she ran her fingertips over the red skin around his eyes. The Colonel winced, and she mimicked in empathy, realizing the slightest touch had to hurt.

Sam lowered one hand to his chest, tapping out _sorry._

"S'ok."

_Any change?_

"Since yesterday? Some. Is the sun up?"

_Yes._

He nodded. "Probably explains the big white spot I see. Feels like it's burning its way through my head."

Sam sat back on her ankles and felt around the front pockets of his vest. He had to be beyond questioning anything she did, because he didn't say a word or move while she shoved her hands in his pockets. Then she felt the bulge beneath his jacket and reached inside, finding his sunglasses on a string around his neck. She should have known, he always had them around his neck. The Colonel reached up when she pulled them from inside his jacket.

"Sunglasses? Who am I, Ray Charles?"

She chuckled, shaking her head even though her logical mind told her he didn't see. She lifted his hand from her thigh and turned it over.

_Reduce the light. More comfortable._

"Ah."

He slipped them on, tipping his face towards the rising sun. Sam kicked herself for not thinking of them sooner. The style the Colonel preferred was a snug fit with leather rim guards, and without the benefit of bandages to completely cover his eyes, they were the best she could do.

"So, the fact that I'm seeing big blobs of light and _maybe _hearing you yelling at me... good signs, right?"

Sam swallowed and drew in a slow breath, watching his face. It was the first time he'd said much about the injuries, and she wished she knew the right answer.

"Carter. . . "

She touched his arm, and he turned his hand over so his knuckles rested on her leg.

_Good sign._

"But you don't know. . . for sure. . . "

Sam must have paused too long, because he took action and raised his other hand to first touch her arm, then shoulder, finding her cheek. She shook her head.

"Well, nothing we can do about it right now." His voice was heavy, and Sam couldn't help but feel a sense of dread herself.

She shook her head again.

"Let's go. Sooner we get Daniel and Teal'c, the sooner we can blow this popsicle stand."

His hands fell away, and Sam moved to her feet. Pain shot through her, stealing her breath as she straightened. Black spots flashed in her vision for a few seconds, and she gasped. She grabbed hold of the rock outcrop near her head to steady herself.

Damn, but didn't that hurt!

She swallowed the wave back, and took the Colonel's extended hand as he came to his feet. Sam turned their palms together and laced their fingers, bringing his hand up to tap out their next move. Sam pressed her eyes closed as the pain abated to a tolerable level.

_Short walk to Gate. Twenty minutes._

"Did you see or hear any Jaffa during the night?"

_No. May think we're gone._

"Let's hope."

_Daniel is dialing_

Jack nodded. His head throbbed, the ringing in his ears now at such a high pitch it pierced his brain. The white light was shadowed by the sunglasses, but it still made his eyes ache deep in the sockets. He felt like he stood at an angle, the world tilting around him, and he reflectively brought his hand up to rest on Carter's shoulder.

Her arm came behind him, keeping him from spinning out of control while her other hand pressed to his chest.

_Okay?_

"Things are just getting. . . intense."

Then everything in his vision flashed brighter and whiter, and his head exploded with pounding, overwhelming sound. His hands flew to the side of his head and he pressed his eyelids closed. "Ah, damn!" he yelled, fighting to keep his shattered equilibrium from knocking him on his ass.

His senses were in overdrive, the pounding and flashing enough to drown out everything else. Somewhere in his brain, he registered his knees hitting the ground and Carter's hands on him, trying to keep him upright.

Then, just as quick as the flash hit, it passed. Jack lowered his head, his hands still over his ears as he tried to reign it all in. Her palms touched his cheeks, holding his face, and Jack reflexively reached out to grip her arms.

"Carter, what the _hell_!"

She pulled his hand from her sleeve, turning it over.

_Gate_

"Damn, I think it split my head in half!"

Carter pushed his palm to her cheek, and he felt her smile. Then she tapped on his wrist _good sign_.

Jack groaned, and let her help him to his feet again.

Daniel and Teal'c helped Sam get the Colonel to his feet. He didn't say anything, but she saw the muscle along his jaw jump as he clenched his teeth. She thought he might be in pain, but the way his body swayed, she wondered if the last assault on his senses had thrown off whatever equilibrium he had left.

Sam put her arm behind him, his draping across her shoulders, and sucked in a sharp breath at the pain taking over her side. It was worse with every breath now, and if the ribs weren't broken before, she was pretty sure something had snapped when she kept the Colonel from cracking his head on the DHD minutes before. Nausea twisted her gut, and spots danced in her vision, but she just kept telling herself they were almost home.

"Sam, let me take Jack. You look like--"

"I'm fine," Sam said, cutting Daniel off.

"Daniel Jackson and I are concerned for your physical well being, Captain Carter. The effort of supporting O'Neill appears difficult."

"I'm fine," she said again. "Besides, neither of you know Morse Code, and I don't want him. . . The Colonel needs to know what's going on."

"Sam. . . "

"Daniel, just go." Sam drew in a breath as Daniel and Teal'c turned away, placing her fingers on his chest. _Almost there_ she tapped.

"Good. Great. Can't wait."

_Wormhole might be rough._

"Yeah, I thought of that. Mind if I hang on?"

_Hang tight._

He patted her shoulder, and they made their way up the stone steps. Inches from the event horizon, Sam paused. As much to give him the moment he needed to prepare, as to allow her to steady her breath.

_Ready?_

"Just go, Captain."

They stepped through, emerging a second later in the SGC. The Colonel's fingers pressed hard into her shoulder, but he fought to keep himself upright. She understood. Deaf and blind, he didn't want to appear too crippled. The wormhole disengaged behind them as two med-techs came up the ramp.

"We'll take him, Captain."

"No, I'll stay with him." She instinctively understood that Colonel O'Neill would need to know all the who, what and where going on around him. Logically, she knew there would be other people in the mountain who were fluent in Morse, but they had come this far. Sam told herself she would just stay until she knew he was settled.

"Carter. . . " Colonel O'Neill said, his voice tight and strained.

_Ramp. Then infirmary._

He nodded, and together they walked down the ramp. General Hammond stood at the bottom, flanked by the customary armed soldiers. Concern etched his face as he watched her walk with the Colonel. She heard Daniel explaining to the General the state of their commander.

"Jack was blinded and lost his hearing after a Jaffa device basically blew up in his face."

"I want you checked out as well, Captain," General Hammond ordered, and Sam only nodded as each step she took threatened to take her breath away.

The walk to the infirmary seemed endless, but finally they reached Doctor Fraiser and Sam guided Jack to one of the beds. Once seated on the edge, he reached out a hand, and Sam took it just as she had on the planet, explaining to the doctor what she could of the explosion and the symptoms he had exhibited since. The whole time, she tapped on his hand, telling him everything. Doctor Fraiser's gaze shifted often from Sam to Jack, to their hands and back.

Sam stayed with him for the next twenty minutes while Dr. Fraiser examined him, always within arms reach if she thought he needed an answer. The nurses helped him remove his ALICE vest and the BDU jacket beneath, and standing several feet away, Sam could see the annoyance on his face as several hands fluttered around him. Some took blood pressure, some tugging at the clothes, some examining his eyes and ears. He wanted to swat at them like flies, she could see it in his face.

"For cryin' out loud. . . " he mumbled, jerking away when Dr. Fraiser flashed her penlight in his eyes.

"Did he see that?"

Sam stepped around one of the nurses and took his nearest hand, tapping out _Carter_ first, then _Did you see the light?_

"Yeah. Right before my eye exploded."

"Let him know he's going to be fine. I don't foresee any permanent damage. It will just take some time."

"How long?"

"A few days at most."

She told the Colonel, and saw the slight change in his expression that was the only indicator of his relief. Sam started to explain the medications and treatments the doctor would give him when one of the med techs accidentally bumped her side with their elbows. She wasn't prepared for the pain, and she barely bit back the scream, gripping tightly to the Colonel's hand.

"Sam, are you all right?"

"Carter?"

Both Dr. Fraiser and Colonel O'Neill spoke at once, but she couldn't unclench her jaw enough to speak. Her entire body seized, and black spots danced again in her vision. The Colonel held her hand now with both of his, responding to the death grip she knew she had him in, but she couldn't force her fingers to release.

She heard him call her name again as everything went black.

The lights in the infirmary were low and subdued, and for that Jack was thankful. At 2300 hours, the halls were quiet and the lights were low. The doc said he was healing fast, but he wasn't quite there. Full lighting gave him a hell of a migraine, and he avoided the Gate room at all cost when it was being engaged. It was like being front row center stage at a Rolling Stones concert.

He nodded at the nurse on duty and made his way to the back corner, designated as 'recovery'. Captain Carter lay on one of the beds, her face turned away from him, but as he approached her head rolled on the pillow and she opened his eyes.

"How are you feeling, sir?"

Jack only picked up about half of each word, but combined with being able to see her lips, he got the gist of what she said. "Better," he said. "Good to hear you, Captain. And see you. . . "

Sam smiled. "Good to be heard, sir."

"How about you?"

"I'm fine."

"Yeah, that's what you told me on the planet."

She looked away for just a moment before meeting his gaze again. "I was fine. . . when you asked."

"Fine detail, Captain."

She didn't say anything, and he watched the slow way she lowered and raised her eyelids. Doc Fraiser had probably force fed some heavy pain killers to her to keep her in bed. Carter's eyes popped open and she tried to focus on him.

"I'm sorry, sir. Just hard to stay awake."

"I'll let you rest." She nodded and her eyes began to close. "Carter?"

"Yes, sir?"

"You did a good job."

A small smile bowed her lips. . . a small, very tired smile. "Thank you, sir."

"But, Captain. Next time I ask you if you're injured, I damn well better get a straight answer. Understood?" He added just enough stern castigation to his tone that her smile straightened and he knew she got the point.

"Yes, sir."

There. That was all the reprimand she'd get from him. As he walked away from her bed, he shook his head. One broken rib, two more with hairline fractures, and severe bruising over all. And for twenty-four hours she had guided him and let him lean on her without saying a word.

He didn't know whether to be proud or pissed.

Sam reached the top of the stairs opening into the briefing room just as Colonel O'Neill took his seat at the tab. Teal'c and Daniel were already seated across from him with their backs to the Gate room window, so she took the empty seat beside him.

"Captain," he said in greeting as she sat. "How are the ribs?"

"Good, sir."

He raised one eyebrow. "Really. . . "

Sam grinned and nodded. "Yes, sir. Honest."

"Good." His stare stayed on her a moment longer before he looked away, responding to something Daniel said.

She shifted in the chair, the slight ache in her side the only and final indicators that she had met up with the hard end of a swinging staff weapon. Another few days, and both she and the Colonel would be cleared again for active duty.

Sam had been surprised at the relief that had hit her when Dr. Fraiser gave her prognosis for Jack's injuries. Although they sounded nasty – flash burn to his retinas and two burst eardrums – the doctor explained both would heal with time, rest and the proper antibiotics to prevent infection. His vision began to clear within 24 hours of their return, and two days later his hearing was at 80.

Now, after five days, he was almost back to full strength.

General Hammond came from his office, and Sam moved closer to the table. The General sat down, and they began the debriefing for their mission to P3X-918, and to go over the information they had gathered for their next visit through the Gate.

Daniel launched into a long diatribe on the scientific benefits of exploring each planet once the presence of Goa'uld was ruled out. Sam tried to pay attention, but after twenty minutes, she found her mind wandering. She tried shifting in her chair, sipping at her glass of water, but nothing seemed to pull her attention back.

Colonel O'Neill was semi-slouched in his chair, his fingers tapping on the tabletop. Sam found herself watching the way he curled his long digits as he rapped on the polished wood. Slowly, she smiled as she realized what he was doing.

_Bored. Bored. Bored._

Sam leaned forward, feigning deep interest in Daniel's speech, folding her arms so her fingertips rested on the table.

_Me, too_

_Took you long enough_

Sam had to clear her throat to hide the chuckle. Daniel glanced in her direction, and she stared back, maintaining her false fascination. Daniel went back to his argument, and Sam waited five seconds before looking back to Colonel O'Neill's hands.

She had no idea what Daniel said the rest of the meeting, but the next half hour was filled with interesting conversation.


End file.
